Pacifica nabs Utility of the Year

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has been named the 2017 North American Utility of the Year by a panel of automotive experts from the US and Canada, assembled at the Detroit auto show.

The award has been given out for 24 years, and only two minivans have received it — the full Chrysler minivan line in 1996, and the Pacifica in 2017. The current minivan is sold in both gasoline-V6 and plugin-hybrid form, with 33 miles of electric range and 84 MPGe.

The judges were 60 auto journalists from magazines, broadcast and electronic media, and newspapers; the award is the longest-running one not associated with a specific publication. The Utility class was added this year.

David Zatz founded Allpar in 1998 (based on a site he had begun in 1993-94), after years of writing reviews for retail trades. He has been quoted by the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Detroit News, and USA Today. Before making Allpar a full-time career, he was a consultant in organizational psychology. You can reach him by using our contact form (much preferred) or by calling (313) 766-2304